Traumatic Brain Injury and Risk of Long-Term Brain Changes, Accumulation of Pathological Markers, and Developing Dementia: A Review

Christian Lobue, Catherine Munro, Jeffrey Schaffert, Nyaz Didehbani, John Hart, Hunt Batjer, C. Munro Cullum

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have received widespread media attention in recent years as being a risk factor for the development of dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This has sparked fears about the potential long-term effects of TBI of any severity on cognitive aging, leading to a public health concern. This article reviews the evidence surrounding TBI as a risk factor for the later development of changes in brain structure and function, and an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders. A number of studies have shown evidence of long-term brain changes and accumulation of pathological biomarkers (e.g., amyloid and tau proteins) related to a history of moderate-to-severe TBI, and research has also demonstrated that individuals with moderate-to-severe injuries have an increased risk of dementia. While milder injuries have been found to be associated with an increased risk for dementia in some recent studies, reports on long-term brain changes have been mixed and often are complicated by factors related to injury exposure (i.e., number of injuries) and severity/complications, psychiatric conditions, and opioid use disorder. CTE, although often described as a neurodegenerative disorder, remains a neuropathological condition that is poorly understood. Future research is needed to clarify the significance of CTE pathology and determine whether that can explain any clinical symptoms. Overall, it is clear that most individuals who sustain a TBI (particularly milder injuries) do not experience worse outcomes with aging, as the incidence for dementia is found to be less than 7% across the literature.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationHandbook of Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurodegeneration
EditorsRudy J. Castellani
PublisherIOS Press
Pages193-218
Number of pages26
ISBN (Electronic)9781643680644
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020

Publication series

NameAdvances in Alzheimer's Disease
Volume7
ISSN (Print)2210-5727
ISSN (Electronic)2210-5735

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Lewy body dementia
  • Parkinson's disease
  • brain imaging
  • chronic traumatic encephalopathy
  • cognition
  • concussion
  • dementia
  • frontotemporal dementia
  • traumatic brain injury

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology

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